Chapter 7
Dark and dull, there was nothing there.
The rain slants down like brocade, and I wonder: do I have nowhere to go?
This is a question I should have considered long ago, but I'm terrible at facing reality and my ability to console myself is practically nonexistent. But the desolate scenery right now makes me want to think about some sad topics to cope with the situation.
What I've been reluctant to admit is that it seems like Medicine King Valley is no longer a viable place.
But in such a vast world, where else can I go besides Medicine King Valley?
There seemed to be lights outside the window, but looking into the distance, they were blurred and indistinct in the rain.
The coachman said to He Yiyi, "Madam, there seem to be people ahead. Could it be that we've encountered bandits?"
He Yiyi thought for a moment, "Let's get out of the car and hide behind a tree."
We hid under the tree, not uttering a sound. The rain soaked our clothes. I turned to look at He Yiyi, who remained calm, her black hair plastered to her forehead. She whispered to me, "Don't be afraid."
He Yiyi was much more composed than the young ladies from wealthy families, as if she had seen it all before.
As the lights drew closer, someone called out, "Young master, the lady's carriage is here."
In the misty rain, Lou Junyan held up an oil-paper umbrella, picked up a lantern in one hand, and walked to the car to look around.
He asked in a calm voice, "Why is no one inside?"
While he was speaking, we emerged from behind the tree.
He Yiyi said, "I originally thought we had encountered bandits, so I thought I would hide behind a tree..."
Before he could finish speaking, the lantern fell to the ground with a thud, and the rainwater soaked through the lantern paper, extinguishing the flame.
Lou Junyan freed one hand and pulled her into his arms. As if no one else was around, he ran his fingers through He Yiyi's wet hair and said softly, "Don't be afraid."
He Yiyi stiffened, then said calmly, "I'm not afraid."
Lou Junyan took off his outer robe and wrapped it around her. "Let's go home." His expression was gentle, as if he were protecting a young woman who had just married into the family.
By the light, I could see that Lou Junyan's black boots were covered in mud; he seemed to have been walking in a hurry.
Back at home, I brewed some medicine to dispel the cold and took it to He Yiyi's room.
The door was half-open, and He Yiyi's voice came from inside, "Wulang, you don't need to be so nice to me. I'm already part of your family, and I'm completely at your mercy. The He family has long since fallen into ruin, isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
In the dim candlelight, Lou Junyan, dressed in a moon-white robe, stood behind He Yiyi. She sat before her dressing table, her elegant face reflected in the bronze mirror. Lou Junyan used a wooden comb to smooth her long hair, paused slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, and leaned down slightly, placing his hand on her shoulder, saying, "He Yiyi, have you ever thought about it? If I only wanted to get rid of your father, why would I go to such lengths to marry you?"
He Yiyi moved aside, creating some distance between herself and him. She didn't turn around, remaining calm and composed. "I've thought about it."
Lou Junyan said in a low voice, "Oh? Tell me about it."
She picked up a strand of hair from her chest and carefully combed it. "I don't understand. Maybe when you look at me, you'll remember the bad things you've done, and then you'll be satisfied?"
Lou Junyan released her hand and looked at He Yiyi in the bronze mirror. His slender fingers slid down her cheek. "Why don't you think about it? Maybe I just want to marry you?" He was very close to her, and at first glance, they looked like lovers entwined.
Outside, the autumn rain continued to fall, and the window was blown open by the wind with a sudden "snap".
He Yiyi turned to look at Lou Junyan, "I want to too. Can you tell me, if you said you would marry me, why did you push my parents into prison? Why did you threaten me, saying that if I didn't marry you, dozens of people in my family would have to be exiled to the wasteland?"
Lou Junyan looked at He Yiyi, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Anyone could see that he liked her. Although I didn't know what the entanglement was, I also felt that He Yiyi was too slow to warm up.
Women are contradictory; they like to subtly ask men: Do you love me? Do you love me?
The man replied: I love you.
The woman will continue to ask: Where do you love me? Where do you love me? After going through many twists and turns, she will turn back to ask: Do you love me or not?
Lou Junyan clearly doesn't understand women's hearts. He looked at He Yiyi for a long time and said, "I'm a businessman, and I think this deal is very worthwhile."
A faint smile played on his lips. "He Yiyi, back then you said that if you protected the entire He family, you would be devoted to me. But where is your heart?" Lou Junyan gently embraced her, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of coolness in them. He slowly said, "Where is your devotion?"
He kissed her earlobe and placed a hand on her chest. "Or is there someone else here already?"
Lou Junyan kissed her along her neck, the enchanting night light intoxicating the candlelight in the room.
This put me in a dilemma. On the one hand, the house was clearly bustling with passion, rendering my cold-dispelling medicine useless, thus depriving me of my excuse to stand in front of the house; on the other hand, they were being intimate inside, yet they didn't close the door properly, which would be quite inappropriate if others saw them.
I finally managed to extricate myself from this dilemma and decided to guard the goal for these two.
But things progressed too quickly. The two of them left the dressing table and moved to the couch. The curtains were thin and the shadows of the people were overlapping, making it very ethereal. So ethereal that from my angle, I could not see anything except a corner of the curtain.
I felt a pang of regret and heartache for a while, and the medicine in my hand had already gone cold; so I turned around and went back into the house.
Three days later, Lou Junyan said he was going to Yangzhou on business and donated 100,000 taels of silver to the government to repair the Dongyue Temple. This was merely a way to maintain good relations with the government and exchange resources.
Lou Junyan is a thorough businessman; he keeps track of every single expense in his mind.
According to the servants of the Lou family, He Yiyi was given to Lou Junyan as a hairpin by his daughter, and then given to the original opera troupe of Dongyue Temple. When Lou Junyan found out about this, he was furious and did not see He Yiyi for seven days. He only said one sentence in front of her house: "In this life, don't even think about me helping them."
But times have changed, and now business people are truly only doing business that doesn't lose money.
Upon arriving in Yangzhou, we stayed at He Yiyi's residence since she hadn't been back to her parents' home for a long time.
When I lived in Yangzhou, the He family was a prominent and wealthy household, very grand and with well-mannered servants. They were simply the ideal wealthy family in my mind. If their walls were just a little lower, it would be perfect.
Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. The He family mansion has declined considerably. It is still a grand mansion with red gates, but it is less populated. In the pond in the courtyard, the lotus leaves have withered, leaving only a muddy pool.